Entwined in Adversity
by xXxCrescent MoonxXx
Summary: To warn the enemy is a courtesy for the just. Honesty though is only a weak excuse to justify foolishness for the wicked-minded. In war, there are no clear sides and purposes and the Shadow War is no exception. This was when Lara Croft would have to re-evaluate her notions about war, right and wrong. -Oneshot, AoD related.


**A/N: I'm back to raid some tombs! :D  
This oneshot has been resting in my archives long enough. I don't consider it my best of works but I thought I should upload it anyway. My beta-reader couldn't help me with it due to some personal reasons and this only doubles my concerns about this story. I'm not sure if the dialogue sounds believable but I tried my best and this piece went through heavy re-writes and a lot of editings. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it horrible? Let me know what you think.**

 **This one is dedicated to Josh14Raider. Without his immense interest in this story, it would never see the light of day. Also I want to offer him a little gift for showing such great support even on my non-Tomb Raider projects. Thank you, friend!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any characters mentioned in the story. All rights belong to Eidos, Core Design, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix.**

 **~ For** **Josh14Raider ~**

* * *

 **~ Entwined in Adversity ~**

Düsseldorf, Germany, 20:13 PM

The room was so dark the flames of the torches were the only source of light. It had stony walls and despite the heat outside, it was cold. There was a group of men in the room planning their next move on how to kill the people their chief wanted them to eliminate.

All of a sudden, the big, wooden door crackled and it opened with force. Before them stood a woman. She wore a cloak and its hood so the men couldn't distinguish her face elaborately. A chill pierced through one of them.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"The mortal whose life was stolen by your own greed and folly" she said wrathfully as she walked towards them with steady steps, a sense of threat settling in the room by their slow pace.

"Your foolishness will kill you" the man stated with a seemingly cruel voice although it was obvious that he felt unsettled. He even felt grateful for the large table seperating him from the intruder.

"Go to hell!" she replied with a firm, wrathful tone.

"If you're here, then the Lux Veritatis must be around as well" the man thought aloud. "Check the whole place" he demanded. The other men obeyed, leaving him and the mysterious woman alone.

"Let's find the man who has fed your head with lies" he let his sentence linger as he placed his palms on the table to support his weight, attempting to challenge her. However, she remained still and it seemed that not even a wild gale would make her move. Her silence and the expression of rage on her slightly visible face were the only response he got. There was quietness for some seconds that overshadowed all means of negotiation. The general before her was the one to break it, desperately trying to make the adventurer before him feel disturbed. "Immortality will be our prize after we win this fight" he claimed.

"You are about to destroy humanity for this meaningless prize" she remarked, raising her voice.

"What do _you_ fight for?" he asked in feigned interest as he felt his hands sweat which forced him to remove them from the table's surface.

"I fight for justice. Obviously you're unfamiliar with this word" she explained. If she wasn't talking one would assume she was merely a statue. Her seemingly invincible equanimity posed a threat to the man's composure.

"Don't be a dreamer, sweetheart. It makes you look like an idiot. Do you know what's more defining than _justice_?" he retorted fervently. Before the man could answer his own question, another male voice was heard from the shadows, startling both of them.

"Destiny" the voice replied.

Both the woman and the man faced the one from whom the reply had come. The man who was arguing with the woman earlier seemed upset now. His eyes reflected fear and alertness as he inhaled and exhaled audibly, making the stranger before him smile in satisfaction. "Master…" he managed to say.

"Withdraw" the mysterious figure ordered. The man did so, fleeing hurriedly in a manner that failed to conceal his dread.

At that moment, the 'Master' walked out of the shadows and allowed the dim light to illuminate his features. He walked right in front of her and the woman came face to face with his green eyes and blond hair. He held a stern expression and one could even say that he carried knowledge but also, high ambitions. Ambitions that could cost the existence of the entire world. He stared at the woman with admiration exceptionally hidden, but his eyes reflected signs of superiority. "Are you afraid of destiny?" he inquired.

"No, unlike you…" she replied with determination and bravery.

"Then why do you hide your face with your hood?" his confident voice echoed through the walls.

She finally escaped her state of stillness for she stepped forward once and took off her hood. Even the cruelest heart could not help but be amazed by her expressive, brown eyes and the courage that they reflected.

"Lara Croft" he pronounced, trying to sound charmed as a means of mockery.

 _'How hard did you have to try to become the master of hypocrisy?'_ , Lara thought with spite. "So we meet again Karel."

"You really think I fear destiny?" he asked her while he took another step forward to approach her even more, never faltering and never thinking of retreating.

"You should, because I'll make sure you get what you deserve" were her next words, no trace of regret to accompany them. Her tone never ceased being cruel but calm at the same time.

"You're a fool coming here. I can kill you anytime I want" he told her.

"Can you? No, I don't think so."

"How come?."

"You said it; destiny. You had plenty of opportunities to kill us but we stopped you every single time." She spoke on behalf of herself and someone else. "We tried to send to you hell, where you belong. Yet here you are. Both of us. For some reason, something doesn't want me and Kurtis dead. That's why you haven't managed to kill us" she explained. There was no denying she knew how to dispute an argument cleverly.

"Smart girl" he exhaled. "Then why did the Lux Knight not join our little party?" he asked, venomous emotions of hate mirrored in every single word.

"I came against his will" she informed.

"Because…?" he encouraged her to tell him the reason why.

"I wanted to warn you."

"That's very generous of you" he spoke with sarcasm and maliciousness, his refusal to trust in her words manifested with no hesitation.

"There's no generosity left for you" she added with hostility.

"Too bad. You know, I might still feel generous when you decide to leave the Lux Veritatis."

"That's never going to happen" she instantly rejected the offer with a raised and anxious voice, losing her temper. Karel observed her clenched fists and inwardly smiled in wicked delight due to the realisation that she was becoming agitated. "I became part of this war to fight for the Lux Veritatis Order-" she continued only to be interrupted by the vile nephilim.

"…which does not exist anymore."

"Because of you previous master whom you betrayed and killed. This was some nice back-stabbing Karel, I could say you're a natural" Lara exclaimed, her words full of irony and hate.

"You fight for something that belongs to the past. Something dead!" Karel insisted, as if trying to convince her that she was misled.

Lara needed to make him feel alert. She wished to see him mentally shattered. She'd give her fortune to see him tortured and then destroyed. "Tell me, would you be glad if I brought Eckhardt back to life?" she playfully questioned with the objective of threatening him.

"You cannot do that!" he managed to say.

"What if I can? I'm sure he will be glad to see you." Lara leaned closer to his face, forcing him to mark her next words, wanting to have them burn his mind and confidence from now on. "And when he slaughters you and takes your body parts, I will be there enjoying every single moment." She smiled wickedly, feeling she had just gained the upper hand.

Karel sighed weakly and began pacing around her, as if her words had caused some distress to him. Always successful in hiding his thoughts, his face held a cold expression.

"You can still join me, Lara. This is your last chance" he offered. However, his tone didn't become friendlier.

"Never. What makes you think I'd betray Kurtis?"

"Why not? He cannot offer you the power I can provide" he began negotiating. Thoughout his seemingly endless existence, he still could not comprehend human nature and the reasons behind people's actions. Ideals, justice, equality… They seemed no greater than dominance over cities, societies, the world.

"This is not about power, don't you see? People are dying, innocent ones suffer" Lara's tone slightly softened as she turned around to look at him. How many loved ones had she lost? Not only by Eckhardt or Karel but also by other people yearning for power. Even Werner's death pained her. Yes, it pained her. She was sorry she had realised far too late.

"Do you honestly think I care about those insignificant mortals? Do you think all these matter? Once we have gained control nothing will matter. I will build the world from the beginning and the rest will perish" Karel walked around the room and closer to Lara, who didn't seem to be intimidated. However, this was only on the outside. "I see potential in you, Croft. I didn't want you to be among the ones who'll perish but you leave me with no choice."

"Even if I fall, I will do so with pride. I will be free, not your slave."

Karel laughed, feeling amused. This confused Lara. "You think everything is black and white? Life isn't that simple, Lara. You should know this better than anyone. You fight for things nonexistent. Those _innocents_ you claim to defend are no less ravenous for power than me… or even you." Lara's eyes narrowed in consuming doubt. "Your kind has proven themselves capable of unconceivable monstrosities over the course of years. Unless it's the brainless sheep you're talking about. Those would let their knees bleed bowing before a master. As you realise, there's no room for your ideals in this world" he concluded.

Lara breathed silently as she attempted to fight his ominous ideas. Karel felt privileged for having obscured her faith. He pulled her closer to him by grabbing her forearm and a gasp escaped Lara's lips. "In this war I will be victorious" she heard him say. Her witty nature forsook her at that moment and a sense of defeat darkened her brown eyes. She watched Karel smile in a sinister manner, pleased with his triumph.

"In war there are no victorious, only defeated. The only difference is that there are the defeated who live and the defeated who die. The latter will be your fate" she exclaimed though she suddenly found it very difficult to speak. The feeling of weariness haunted her and made her legs tremble but not visibly. Deciding to leave, she turned around to walk away but stopped. She once again faced her enemy, one last thought emerging. One last warning before the haze of war took over, before overwhelming chaos arose with bloodthirsty purposes. "Be wary Joachim Karel, because I have run out of mercy" she uttered with wrath and then began walking away.

"So be it" he replied as she faded away in the corridors. He lost sight of her as the shadows engulfed her, leaving only the memory of their last encounter linger in his mind as it burned alive into the dim flames of the torches.


End file.
